Receptacle cleaning machine



p 12, 1939 s. R. HOWARD RECEPTACLE CLEANING MACHINE Filed Aug. 2, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1- INVENTOR 7 BY W 4 M6,;

d- M CAMQL ATTORNEY Sept. 12, 1939. s. R. HOWARD RECEPTACLE CLEANING MACHINE Fiied Aug. 2, 1935 2 Sheet sSheet 2 6 a 4 2 4 21 z 11 5 1 1 z 9 F 4 4 4a 1 5 1 31A M 1 Z i 1 1 Z; i 11 0 11 2 W M EW 4 1 INVENTOR VJM Q MQM ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 12, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RECEPTACLE CLEANING MACHINE Application August 2, 1935, ,Serial No. 34,342

6 Claims.

This invention relates to a receptacle cleaning machine.

' The invention has for one of its objects to provide a novel and improved receptacle cleaning machine having a cleaning nozzle of novel and improved construction adapted to normally extend into the receptacle for a substantial distance during the cleaning operation, and which has provision for permitting the nozzle to be elevated in the event that the nozzle is engaged by a bottle or a receptacle during the movement of the bottle or receptacle into bottle cleaning position, to the end that the liability of breaking or damaging the receptacle or nozzle may be reduced to a minimum.

A further object of the invention is. to provide a novel and improved receptacle cleaning machine in which provision is made for permitting elevation of the cleaning nozzle by a bottle in the event that the latter engages the nozzle upon being brought into cleaning position and for indicating by a signal or alarm the fact that the cleaning nozzle has thus been moved into inoperative position.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a machine of the character specified in which provision is made for stopping the machine in the event that the cleaning nozzle has been moved by a bottle or receptacle into an inoperative position.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved nozzle assembly which is particularly adapted for use in receptacle cleaning machines of either the vacuum or pressure type and which for some purposes may be used with advantage in receptacle filling machines.

With these general objects in view and such others as may hereinafter appear, the invention consists in the receptacle cleaning machine and in the nozzle assembly and various structures, arrangements and combination of parts hereinafter described and particularly defined in the claims at the end of this specification.

In the drawings illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention, Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a bottle cleaning machine; Fig. 2 is a detail to be referred to; Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1, viewed from the right; Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are detail views of the cleaning nozzle, shown in different positions of operation; Fig. 7 is a detail view of the cleaning nozzle adapted for use with the pressure type of receptacle cleaning machine; and Fig. 8 is a view illustrating a conventional circuit for initiating the operation of an alarm device to be referred to.

Referring now to the drawings, which illustrate the different features of the invention as embodied in a machine for automatically clean- 5 ing bottles, I0 represents a bottle supporting member which in the illustrated machine is adapted to operatively support a plurality of bottles. The machine is further provided with a plurality of cleaning nozzles generally indicated ,10 at l2, and provision is made, as will be described, for elevating the bottle supporting member at the proper time in, the cycle of operation of the machine to bring the mouth of the bottles into engagement with said nozzles to enable the cleaning operation to be performed. Provision is preferably made for feeding the bottles to be cleaned into the-machine upon an incoming conveyor l4 and for discharging the cleaned bottles from the machine upon a discharge conveyor I6. 20

The bottles ready to be cleaned are deposited on the conveyor l4 and are carried along by the same until they reach a stop l8 adjustably supported upon an upright member 20 forming a part of the machine frame. The conveyor l4 runs over an idler pulley 22 at one end of the machine and over a driving pulley 24 at the other end of the machine. The driving pulley 24 is fast on a shaft '26 driven through mechanism including a sprocket 28, a chain 30 and a sprocket 32 which turns free on a stud 34 supported on a vertical bracket 36. The sprocket 32 is provided with a bevel gear 38 attached thereto and arrangedto mesh with a bevel gear 40 attached to aworm wheel 42, and provision is made for continuously driving the worm wheel 42. As herein shown the worm wheel 42 is driven from a motor 44 supported upon a platen 46 forming a part of the machine frame through a belt 48 and pulley 50fast on a shaft 52. The shaft 52 is provided with a worm 54 Which drives the worm wheel 42, the latter being fast upon a cam shaft 56. In this. manner, during the operation of the machine a continuousmotion is imparted to the conveyor I4 to thereby move the uncleaned bottles into a position in which the first bottle rests against the stop l8. 7

Provision is made for the transferring of a V plurality of the bottlesfrom their position on the incoming conveyor l4 onto the bottle supporting member Ill when the latter is inv its depressedposition with its surface flush with the surface of the conveyor I4. As herein shown, the'bottle pushing mechanism comprises a bar 58' mounted on a slide 60 guided in brackets 62 55 weight 82 is attached to the cam lever 66 by a chain 84 running over a pulley 86 free to turn on a pin 88 attached to a bracket 90 fastened to the underside of the platen 46. r V j I The bottle supporting and elevating member I0 is formed with downwardly extending sides.

92, 94, to form side guides for the bottles being conveyed into the machine on'th incoming conveyor belt I4 and also for the cleaned bottles leaving the machine on the outgoing conveyor. Provision is made for automatically moving the bottle supporting and elevating member I0. at predetermined times in the cycle of operation of the machine in order to elevate'the bottles to cleaning'position and to subsequently lower the member I0 to a position flush with the incoming belt I4 and discharge belt I6, and for this purpose the member I0 is rigidly attached to slide members 96 by means of brackets 98. The slide members 96 are guided in slideways formed in brackets I00 supported by theplaten 46 above referred to. The bottle supporting and elevating member I0 is actuated by a cam I02 fast on'the cam shaft 56 by connections between it and the cam including a lever I04 fast on the rock shaft I06 and including a cam lever I08 also 'fast on the rock shaft I06 and which is provided with a cam roll 0 operating in the path II2 of the elevating cam I02.. During the operation of the machine, when the bottle supporting and elevating member I0 isin its lower position, the bottle pushing bar 58 Qperatesto push a row of uncleaned bottles from the incoming conveyor belt I4 into'a' position upon the bottle supporting'member I0, under the cleaning nozzles I2, and this operation pushes, over the row of previously cleaned bottles laterally from the bottle supporting and elevating member I0 onto the outgoing. conveyor belt I6, by which they are discharged from the machine; f

At each cycle in the operation of the machine, as the bottle supporting member is elevated, a row "I bottles is lifted as shown in Fig. 3 until the mouth of each bottle contactsand is sealed by one of the series of cleaning nozzles I2. In order to effect the pneumatic cleaning of the row of bottles contacting with the cleaning nozzles I2, each nozzle has provision for permitting air to be admitted into the bottle either by suction produced in the bottle or by an air stream injected into the bottle inoa manner such that the dust and other foreign matter may be removed with the air current upwardly and outwardly from the bottle through'the cleaning nozzle. In Fig. 3, the preferred form of cleaning nozzle assembly is shown wherein the bottles are cleaned by-suction' produced in the bottle. Each cleaningnozzleocomprisesa clamp The manifold- II6'may be connected to any source of suction such as a vacuum pump, not shown. The clamp member H5. is provided with an air admitting nozzle II8 slidably mounted in bearings I20, I22 formedinthe clamp member II5. A collar I24 and rubber washer I 26 secured to ing I32 which corresponds to an opening I34 in the lower part of the clamp member II5. During the operation of the machine, when the vacuum pump is operating, a suction is created Within the manifold and also within the cleaning nozzles so that when a bottle is raised into sealing engagement with one of the sealing members I28 an air current is drawn into the bottle through the air admitting nozzle II8 by the suction created within the bottle. The air admitting nozzles permit free air to flow into the bottles establishing a current of air through the bottles and outwardly through the suction nozzles and into the manifold, enabling any particles of foreign matter contained in the bottles being cleaned to be sucked out with the air current. When the bottle is raised into sealing position the collar I30 is permitted to yield slightly to the end that the mouth of the bottle may be firmly seated in the sealing member I28. 7

It will be observed that in the event the nozzle I I8 is engaged by the edge of a bottle during its movement into bottle cleaning position the slidably mounted nozzle will be elevated, reducing to a, minimum liability of breakage or damage to the bottle or nozzle. This feature of the invention is particularly useful because of the fact that not infrequently a defective bottle is fed into the machine, such imperfections including a choked neck bottle, a film of glass across the top of a'bottle or as illustrated in Fig. 5, abottle may be out of square at the bottom so that the mouth of the bottle will not register correctly with the nozzle. Although a yieldable guide block I40 is provided to guide the mouth f M the bottle into register with the nozzle it is sometimes possible for this guide to be deflected and consequently the nozzle will be elevated as illustrated in Fig. 5 and thereby prevent any damage to the nozzle.

In the event that a nozzle I I8 iselevated, during the operation of the machine in the manner described, provision is made for stopping the machine as by opening the circuit to the motor 44 and as herein shown a mercury switch I42 fixed to a rod I44 is arranged to be rocked by the elevation of the nozzles. The rod I44 is mounted in bearings I46I41 secured to a bar I48 attached to the clamp member II5. Operating levers I50 clamped to the rod I44 are arranged to extend above and in the path of the nozzle so'that when any of the nozzles; is. elevated, the rod I44 will be rocked and, break open the motorcircuit at the mercury' switch. I 42.

Each mercury switch I42 is normally maintained ment in one direction and when the rod is rocked a stop pin I56 limits the rocking movement in the other direction. In order to notify an operator that one of the nozzles I I8 has been elevated by reason of a deflective bottle, and toindicate the particular nozzle, the machine may be provided with indicating means for each nozzle, such as a bell or light and suitable circuits may be opened by mercury switches arranged to be operated by elevation of the nozzles in a similar manner to the switch I42 as indicated in Fig. 8.

In Fig. 7 I have illustrated the details of a cleaning nozzle assembly which I prefer to employed in order to pneumatically clean the bottle by the pressure method. The air admitting nozzle H8 may be connected to a source of pressure, not shown, by a tube I so that when the bottle is elevated to sealing position a blast of air will be injected into the bottle and pass upwardl-y and outwardly through the mouth of the bottle and into the manifold thus removing any foreign matter from the bottles. The manifold may and preferably will be maintained under suction, to convey away such foreign matter.

While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been herein illustrated and described, it will be understood that the invention will be embodied in other forms within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is:

1. In a receptacle cleaning machine, in combination, an air admitting nozzle, means in which said air admitting nozzle is slidably mounted to be capable of yielding when abnormally engaged by a receptacle, means for effecting the flow of air into the receptacle through said air admitting nozzle to perform the cleaning operation, a conveyor for conveying receptacles into cleaning position, and control mechanism operatively connected with the air admitting nozzle for stopping the conveyor in the event that the air admitting nozzle is abnormally engaged by a receptacle when the latter is moved into cleaning position.

2. In a receptacle cleaning machine, in combination, an air admitting nozzle .adapted normally to extend into the receptacle through the mouth thereof during the cleaning operation, supporting means for said air admitting nozzle having provision for permitting the nozzle to yield and move with respect to said supporting means when abnormally engaged by a receptacle, and means rendered operative upon such movement of the nozzle for initiating the operation of an alarm device for indicating to the operator that the nozzle has been moved.

3. In a receptacle cleaning machine, in combination, receptacle supporting means, an air admitting nozzle capable of being extended into a receptacle supported by said supporting means through the mouth of the receptacle when the latter is in cleaning position, a suction manifold in which the air admitting nozzle is mounted in sliding and non-communicating relation, a suction nozzle operatively connected with the manie fold to be supplied with suction therefrom for sealing the mouth of the receptacle and through which said air admitting nozzle is arranged to slidingly extend, whereby to permit the same to be slidingly moved upon abnormal engagement by a receptacle.

4. In a vacuum type receptacle cleaning machine, in combination, a suction nozzle adapted to seal the mouth of a receptacle preparatory to the suction cleaning, an air admitting nozzle extending through said suction nozzle and adapted to extend into the receptacle when the latter is in cleaning position, and means for supporting the air admitting nozzle having provision for permitting it to yield with respect to the suction nozzle when abnormally engaged by a receptacle.

5. In a vacuum type receptacle cleaning ma-' chine, in combination, a plurality of suction nozzles for sealing the mouths of a plurality of receptacles, receptacle supporting means, a suction conduit operatively connected with said suction nozzies to evacuate receptacles sealed by said suction nozzles, a plurality of air admitting nozzles, one for each suction nozzle, through which air is caused to flow into said receptacles by the suction thus created within said receptacles, said air admitting nozzles being slidably mounted in and extending transversely through said suction conduit, means for effecting relative movement of the receptacle supporting means and all of said suction nozzles as a unit, and meansoperatively connected to said air admitting nozzles for terminating the relative movement of the suction nozzles and receptacle supporting means in the event of engagement of one of the air admitting nozzles by a receptacle.

6. In a receptacle cleaning machine, in combination, receptacle supporting means, an air admitting nozzle adapted to normally extend through the mouth of and into a receptacle supported by said supporting means in cleaning position, means for causing flow of air into the receptacle through said air admitting nozzle to perform the cleaning operation, means for relatively moving said nozzle and said receptacle supporting means to introduce the nozzle into the receptacle, supporting means for said air admitting nozzle having provision for permitting the nozzle to yield and move when abnormally engaged by a receptacle, and means rendered operative by such abnormal movement of the nozzle for terminating the relative movement of said nozzle and said receptacle supporting means.

STANLEY R. HOWARD. 

